Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-24
TwENTY.SFx MEN LOST.
Wreck OF the Alfred Watts. from this
Port for Japan.

I0lOTWNtlOu WAS ItctiNtu VI tIlt llhAi-
time Exchange i'll this city yesterday
which proves beyond doubt that the
ship Alfred Watts, which sailed for
HiogO, Japan, October Stb, from this
port has gone down with twcnty-siX
men, two Of the crew having been rescued.
Last Monday week cablegram was re-
ceiyed from Cuba announcing the loss OF
the Alfred Watts, but it was meagre and
in no way substantlated. None Of the
seamen at this port placed any credence
in the cablecram, and neither did VIII
liam II. Oakford, the halter at Oh Chest
nut street, whose only son was passen-
ger on board.
The information received yesterday
came in the shape of letter from United
States Consul Reed ut Barbados, one of
the group of islands known as the Lesser
Antilles, a few hundred miles southeast
from the West Indies. The letter Is
dated December 10Th and tells of the
rescue of two OF the crew OF the ship. 1t
reads as follows:
TwENTY-SlX MEN LOST.
Captain S. Young, Of the British bark
Lizzie Perry, reports that on October
Doth, when in latitude 2S.l0, longitude
80. %, he picked up two men giving their
names as Harry Magnus and Oscar Lind,
the only surviving members Of the crew
OF the ship Alfred Watts, which sailed
from Philadelphia October Sth for Hiogo,
japan, with crew of twenty-eight men
and 500, 600 gallons of petroleum. The
men said the vessel was caDSized during
q terrific hurricane, after being dismasted
and water-logged, when but ten days
out of port.
This letter caused much excitement
along the wharves. Mr.. Oakford was
Immediately shown copy of the letter.
He burst into tears and was almost pros
trated. He said he did not at first place
any confidence in the cablegram re-
ceived December 18th, but that he took
/ this letter as conclusive proof that his
son, A. b. Oaklord, was dead. When
seen last evening Mr.. Oakford positively
refused to say anything of his son or OF
the ship. 1t was learned, however, that
( his son was a young man OF about twenty
/ six years Of age, and had been at home
but little during the last few years. He
had no specific purpose III sailing fer
Japan on the ship.
TIE MEN WHO WENT DOWN.
Never since the existence of the Mari
time Exchange has there been SO many
lives lost in vessel sailing from this
port. When the ship Alfred Watts sail
ed down the Delaware in tow Of the tug
George w. Pride, Jr., early on the
morning of October 9Th, she was in
charge of Captain +. h. Johnson, mas
ter, with John r. Kay first and Edward
Clark second mate.
Captain johnson was one OF the most
experienced shipmasters on the ocean,
and had many times sailed around the
world. His home was in Rockland. Me-,
where his young wife aod large family
of small children now live.
John Il. Kay, the mate, had until re-
Gently been living ashore, and made his
living as prize-fighterin San Francisco
He was a splendIdly-built man, AUD
made quite mark while following that
business. The rest OF the crew were Ole
salts, who made their homes Just
wherever they happened to be.
A STRONG AND STIFF VESSEL.
All day yesterday groups OF seamer
stood about the Maritime Exchange dis
cussing the catastrophe. They were
all OF the opinion that the Alfred Watt
must have suffered most severe hur
ricane before she went under, as she wai
built with especia! fegard 10 high winds
. and seas Before the ship sailed last
, October Mr. Oakford went down to hel
dock with his son TO inspect the vesse
| before his son decided to sail with her
Pilot Long, oue OF the oldest pilots a
, this port, showed them over the ship anC
assured Mr.. Oakford that it would be
almost an utter iupossiblity for the ship
b 10 capsize, as she vas built too stiff fol
that and was strong enough to weather
almost any sea.